31 August, 2007

Happy Birthday, Malaysia !

Malaysia marked 50 years of independence today with dances and parades in a colorful show of ethnic unity that belied worsening race relations and growing fears about eroding minority rights.

Smartly dressed Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups making up this racially diverse nation danced in a parade at the Merdeka Square, or Freedom Square, where Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman announced the country's independence from Britain on Aug. 31, 1957.

Malaysia's constitutional monarch, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, presided over the two-hour celebration, joined by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his Cabinet ministers and foreign dignitaries including Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Thai crown prince and the sultan of Brunei.

In a speech at midnight, Abdullah reminded Malaysians that the struggle to fulfill the objectives of independence have not been won even though the country has achieved remarkable economic progress and prosperity for nearly all citizens.

"The struggle is for all Malaysians. We must ensure that no region or community is left behind. We will hold true to the concept of justice and fairness for all citizens," Abdullah said.

But racial equality remains a distant dream, say many observers, citing an affirmative action program for the majority Malays and the pervasive influence of Islam in what founding fathers envisaged as a secular nation.

"Although we have achieved a lot in 50 years I have my doubts we can continue to sustain the pace of the progress until we change our mind-set and develop more dynamic and meritocratic policies," said Ramon Navaratnam, a former Finance Ministry adviser and an architect of the country's economic policies.

Malay Muslims form about 60 percent of the country's 26 million people. Chinese are 25 percent, Indians 10 percent and the rest belong to other minorities.

At independence, the Malays were the poorest and the most backward. But the New Economic Policy, the affirmative action program started in 1971, gave Malays privileges and preferences in jobs, education, businesses, housing, bank loans and government contracts.

Many Malays complain that the NEP benefited only those connected to Abdullah's United Malays National Organization party. The party dominates the ruling coalition, sharing a little power with Chinese, Indian and other race-based parties.

Analysts say the NEP is holding back Malaysia's progress, producing Malay university graduates who can hardly speak English, creating a class of inefficient bureaucrats and suppressing enterprising businessmen from minority communities.

"This is a blessed country in terms of resources, climate, location. We are on a take-off stage and we are not taking off," Navaratnam said.

The spread of Islamic conservatism is adding to ethnic tensions, which have remained under the surface since racial riots in May 1969 left hundreds dead.

Court verdicts this year have found that civil courts have no jurisdiction in Islamic matters, even when applied to non-Muslims.

Imtiaz Malik, a prominent human rights lawyer, said the Constitution is clear that civil courts can overrule the Islamic courts — but judges are unwilling to rule against Islam.

Clerics have been telling Muslims not to attend Christian or Hindu festivals, and some condemn Christians and Jews at Friday prayers. Most Malay women now wear head scarves, not part of their traditional attire. Some schools have started reciting Muslim prayers.

This trend also worries many modern Malays.

"The question we are facing is, are we Malay first or Muslim first? Right now most people have become Muslim first," said Tengku Zafrul Aziz, the chief executive of Tune Money, an investment and insurance company.

30 August, 2007

Fifty Years And Still Going 'wrong' - 2

What is Malaysia's greatest achievement in the last 50 years of Merdeka? It is our ability to maintain a remarkable degree of inter-ethnic peace. By inter-ethnic peace we mean a minimum of communal violence over five decades of Independence and a maximum of tolerance, compromise and adjustment among the different communities that constitute the Malaysian nation.

Why should one consider this an accomplishment? Most other multi-ethnic societies, even those that are far less complex than Malaysia, in demographic, cultural, religious, political and economic terms, cannot boast of such a record. For the sake of comparison, look at two other multi-ethnic countries, Indonesia and India, both of which also attained nationhood in August, the first in 1945 and the second in 1947. In both cases, there has been much more communal and political violence.

OVER a drink of green coconut juice at what used to be called the Passionate Love Beach until his Islamist party came to power and scrapped the name, Takiyuddin Hassan outlines the victories in its war on sin.

In the capital, Kuala Lumpur, celebrations are starting for Malaysia's 50th year as an independent state. Its proud achievements are modern universities, a buoyant economy, and a respected place in the world as a moderate Islamic nation.

Mr Hassan's party boasts a different set of achievements; banning miniskirts, chastising unmarried couples and renaming Khota Bharu's favourite beauty spot. When it came to power in 1990, it changed the name to Moonlight Beach.

It also closed down nightclubs, banned nearly all bars except a few Chinese restaurants where no Muslims are allowed, and refused to let a proposed cinema open unless there were separate sections for men and women and the lights remained on to prevent immorality.

The Chief Minister is said to have mellowed since then and this year looked favourably on a proposal to open an alcohol-free disco for tourists. The idea never got off the ground after he insisted it be single-sex.

Mr Hassan, a moderate who was once a lawyer, is proud of his party's achievements in Kota Bharu. He says it has kept the rustic capital of Kelantan state upright and clean-living. The biggest building in the city houses the moral enforcement department whose officials spend their time prowling Kota Bharu's parks in search of amorous young sinners.

Mr Hassan is sensitive about the nickname "Taliban lite" often levelled at his party in Kuala Lumpur, where bars do a roaring trade and cinemas are full of dating couples.

"We are not the Taliban, we are in favour of women's education and against violence and corruption," he grumbles. "Malaysia is a Muslim state. We hope we can change people's mindset in Kuala Lumpur so they can live according to Islamic principles."

As it celebrates 50 years of independence from Britain this week, Malaysia has stepped up its long-running and angst-ridden debate about just how Islamic it should be.

Older Malays bemoan a younger generation that has become puritanical, self-righteously declining to attend social functions where alcohol is served. Headscarves, rare 20 years ago, are worn by almost all Malay women now, although often in combination with tight jeans.

Some non-Muslim Chinese and Indians feel increasingly treated like second-class citizens. They complain, usually privately, that Islamic religious schools are much better funded than theirs and that a system of affirmative action favours Malays when it comes to university places.

Some fear assertive Islam threatens to upset the delicate balance between the 60 per cent Malay-Muslim majority and the non-Muslim ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, which have managed to co-exist, sometimes uneasily, since Malaysia's troubled birth in 1957 at a time of civil war and ethnic tension.

Islam is Malaysia's official religion and the constitution says anyone born Malay is Muslim.

Every state has a religious department with Saudi-style moral enforcers. Nowhere are they more active than Kota Bharu. Unmarried couples sharing hotel rooms are hunted down by enforcers. Couples caught sitting too close together on park benches are fined 2000 ringgit ($706) in the city's shariah court.

28 August, 2007

Fifty Years And Still Going 'wrong'

Dubbed the "melting pot" of Asia for its potpourri of cultures, Malaysia has long been held up as a model of peaceful co-existence among its races and religions.

That may no longer hold true.

"Views of increasing intolerance and religious polarisation have negatively impacted how Malaysia has been perceived," said Bridget Welsh, a political scientist at John Hopkins University.

"Malaysia has benefited from a largesse of resources, which, if depleted, will lead to greater racial tensions," said Welsh, a specialist on Malaysia.

Malaysia's economy, which relied heavily on rubber and tin during British colonial rule, has since been transformed into one based on manufacturing and services, and is now the region's biggest after Indonesia and Singapore.

But while it has made progress on the economic front, race and inter-faith relations are lagging and efforts to mesh the races into a single Malaysian identity are far from reality.

The reasons for that are deep-rooted.

Malaysia's political, education and economic structures, as well as faith, continue to be entrenched along racial lines...more here.

Malaysia marks the 50th anniversary of its independence later this week at a time when it is increasingly questioning its own identity amid rising Islamisation and racial polarisation.

Yet as the country prepares to mark a half-century of nationhood on Friday, many are struggling to agree on what it means to be Malaysian, and how much your religion and culture counts.

P. Ramasamy, a political scientist and former professor with the National University of Malaysia, is worried about a rising influence of Islam, and the racial and religious divisions it could spark.

"If this is the indicator after 50 years, I do not want to look forward to the next 50 years as the situation may become worse,"

Freedom of religion is enshrined in the constitution but a number of recent events -- such as a court's decision not to recognise a woman's conversion to Christianity and a row over whether Sharia law should be incorporated into the legal system -- have highlighted long-standing divisions.

Malaysia experienced deadly race riots between Malays and Chinese in 1969 sparked by political rivalries and anger over the wealth of the Chinese, and today ethnic Malays dominate politics.

Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked and jailed in 1998, told AFP that Islam in Malaysia had been "hijacked" for political reasons by the ruling party, and urged caution against creeping extreme Islamic tendencies.

He pointed to a recent decision by the Federal Court rejecting a women's bid to be legally recognised as a Christian after converting from Islam.

Lina Joy waged a decade-long battle to have the word "Islam" removed from her national identity card, but the court threw out her case and said only the Sharia court can legally certify her conversion.

Anwar decries not just the religious divisions, but the economy, which he says is being battered by corruption.

"Foreign investments are heading elsewhere. This is due to incompetency, poor governance and refusal to change. So we are losing out to Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, India and China," he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad has strongly defended the unity of the country as it marks 50 years as a nation this week, accusing critics of wrongly painting a bleak picture.

"There are many naysayers and detractors both within and outside Malaysia. They seek to paint a dark and bleak picture of Malaysia," he said.

"A Malaysia that is supposedly inefficient and lacking in integrity. A Malaysia supposedly torn at the seams and a Malaysia that is increasingly disunited and in decline."

Abdullah acknowledged Malaysia was "not a perfect country," and said that promoting unity should remain a goal, but insisted the nation had come a long way.

Religious freedom is guaranteed in the constitution, but a series of court challenges and political statements have raised fears that minority groups are being pushed aside by creeping conservatism and Islamisation.

Abdullah earlier Monday accused opposition groups of taking advantage of free speech to create division in society, warning that the government would not hesitate to act.

Early this month, when Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia is neither secular nor theocratic state, in contrast to what his deputy Najib Tun Razak said

But, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has today for the first time said that Malaysia was an Islamic state and not a secular state.Read more here, here and here.

27 August, 2007

Cracks show in Malaysia unity ?

Lim Kit Siang met Capt Yusof the Ancient Mariner blogger yesterday for inputs the DAP stalwart hopes to put to good use when he proposes today a motion to debate the Pork Klang Free Zone's RM4.7 billion debacle, and the so-called soft loan the government has unilaterally proposed to bail out the parties involved for the losses.(Excerpt from Rocky)

I met Opposition leader Mr. Lim Kit Siang and his small entourage from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) for a chat before he left for Ipoh yesterday. The venerable Yang Berhormat has been following my blogs and wanted to hear my views straight from the horse's mouth before he tables a motion to debate the RM4.6 billion PKFZ debacle in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Mr. Lim has no pretensions that he will be stopped in his tracks by the Speaker of the august house as has been done many times before, but he will plod on nevertheless. He has promised to keep bringing up the subject in the parliament at every available opportunity to force the issue out in the open.- Capt Yusof the Ancient Mariner

Kuala Lumpur (dpa) - As festivities start building up in conjunction with Malaysia's planned celebrations of its 50th year of independence, a growing insecurity and sense of uncertainty among its minority races seems to be looming over the outward show of revelry.

A month of festivities ranging from motorcar events to massive fireworks displays will culminate with an annual flower and march-past parade on August 31, when the nation will celebrate 50 years of freedom from former British rulers.

On the front, there is much to celebrate: Malaysia has flourished from a former agriculture-driven backwater to become one of the most advanced nations in Asia with an economy poised to grow about 6 per cent this year and next.

Over the past 20 years, economic development has seen tremendous growth, in particular the export sector as well as building of large-scale infrastructure projects.

But aside from the megaprojects, the world-class buildings and infrastructure and relatively steady economy, the government's pride for years has been the ability of Malaysia's many ethnic and religious groups to co-exist in relative peace for the past 50 years.

The nation is made up of some 60 per cent of ethnic Malays, who by definition of the constitution are all Muslims. The ethnic Chinese comprise about 25 per cent of the population, followed by Indians with 9 per cent. Other races make up the remainder of the population.

However, behind the façade of a harmonious potpourri of ethnic groups and religions, lurks an undeniable sense of discomfort at rising racial tensions in recent times.

In May, Lina Joy - a former Muslim woman who had embraced Christianity for more than 20 years - lost a long battle in court to have her personal identification card state her new religion.

Under Malaysian Islamic law, a Muslim can not marry a non-Muslim without her partner also converting to Islam, meaning Joy could not marry her Christian fiancé until she could be legally recognized as a non-Muslim.

Joy had brought her appeals to Malaysia's highest court as a last-ditch attempt after several lower courts ruled against her, but she finally lost the right to officially change her religion when the Federal Court ruled against her. The decision sparked a nationwide debate on the freedom of religion in the country, or the lack of it.

Adding to the religious tensions, leaders from the United Malays National Organization party - the backbone of the ruling coalition - have outwardly declared the country an Islamic state.

In June, deputy prime minister Najib Razak said during a press conference that Malaysia "has never been a secular state, and has always been Islamic."

His comments drew criticism from all levels of society, from the Bar Council to Muslim and non- Muslim organizations, as the country's constitution clearly states that Malaysia is a secular state.

Recently, the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) produced what it called a "wish list" of eight most urgent needs in the country.

Topping the list, which was compiled as result of opinions taken from 42 non-governmental organizations representing all major races, religions and rights groups, was a call for greater unity among the people.

"Recently, the state of unity has been fraying at the edges. Ethnic, linguistic and religious divides have deepened, causing genuine pain and hurt to many in the nation," the statement said.

"Such a fragile state of unity should not have happened after 50 years of nation building."

The report, called the 'Merdeka Statement,' also listed an urgent call to redress the imbalances in society, with the group noting with concern the growing income inequalities within the same ethnic groups, especially the ethnic Malays.

In 1971, the government launched the New Economic Policy which is a series of affirmative action policies designed to benefit Malays and certain indigenous groups known collectively as "bumiputera," or "sons of the soil."

More than 30 years later, critics say the policy failed in its objectives of eradicating the hardcore poor among the bumiputera, but instead has caused only certain groups of Malays to grow rich while the majority remain in poverty.

Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin dismissed the 42 NGO's as representing the general sentiment, and called the statement a "clever attempt to disunite the people in the country.

"This is not a citizens' wish but the wish of a handful of people. This is uncalled for," he said, adding that the government would not take into consideration the contents of the statement.

Tricia Yeoh, senior analyst at ASLI, called the government's rejection regrettable, and appealed for a dialogue and discussion to be held instead.

"Each of the organizations represent a large group of Malaysians in their own respective right, and together they cover Malaysians of all ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds," Yeoh said.

The worry hanging over the Merdeka celebrations is ironic in that unity - the very desire and goal which drove the country's fight for independence - is now threatening to tear the nation apart.

"There is a growing number of Chinese and Indians who are starting to seek permanent residence in alternative countries," said a political analyst on condition of anonymity.

"There is a sense of insecurity in our very citizenship, our right in this country which our parents and grandparents had fought to keep together. It's sad, but that's the situation now," he said.

Chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, Lim Kit Siang, recently said that the nation's early aspiration to build a society identifiable as Malaysians and not different ethnic groups, has failed.

"Many people are wondering what is the meaning of this 50th Merdeka anniversary if they are feeling more alienated, more divided and more polarized," Lim said in an interview with the Sun newspaper recently.

Adding to the widening religious and racial divide, Malaysians will now prepare to celebrate their 50th year of independence while facing the fact that corruption remains high in the government, and there is an alarming increase in crime.

Perhaps, as Lim and many other Malaysians now feel, the way to move forward for the nation in terms of unity, is to look back.

25 August, 2007

Sudan accused of arms violations

This photo shows containers being offloaded by Sudanese army soldiers from an Antonov aircraft onto military trucks at the military apron of El Geneina airport.

New photo evidence shows that the Sudanese government is continuing to deploy offensive military equipment in Darfur, despite the UN arms embargo and peace agreements.

Amnesty International (AI) today released new photographs that show Sudan's breathtaking defiance of the arms embargo and the Darfur peace deals.

"Once again Amnesty International calls on the UN Security Council to act decisively to ensure the embargo is effectively enforced, including by the placement of UN observers at all ports of entry in Sudan and Darfur," said Brian Wood, Amnesty International’s Arms Control Research Manager.

The photographs, sent to AI and the International Peace Information Service by eyewitnesses in Darfur, reinforce evidence provided in AI's May 2007 report: “Sudan: Arms continuing to fuel serious human rights violations in Darfur”. The photos were taken in July at El Geneina airport in Darfur.

AI has received reports of helicopters delivering arms to militias allied to the government, and of the continued deployment of attack helicopters. Russia signed a deal to supply at least 15 general military helicopters (Mi-17s) during 2005 and 2006 and also supplied 12 attack helicopters (Mi-24s) in 2005.

The Sudanese government continues to launch aerial attacks on civilians in Darfur. China supplied Fantan jets, carrying air-to-ground missiles, to Sudan until 2006.

In South Darfur, a Sudanese government Antonov aircraft carried out bombing raids in August after an attack by one armed opposition movement on the town of Adila. They targeted villages and water points. There have been a number of Antonov raids on Ta’alba, while the villages of Habib Suleiman and Fataha were also bombed. An Antonov capable of such raids was reportedly transferred from Russia to Sudan in September 2006.

Thousands of displaced villagers have fled the Jebel Moon/Sirba area in West Darfur after attacks byJanjawid-supported government forces on areas under control of armed opposition groups. Local people said the forces were supplied by helicopters.

A Russian-supplied Mi-17 military helicopter (registration number 534) belonging to the Sudanese Air Force at El Geneina. Russia signed a deal to supply at least 15 such helicopters for delivery in 2005 and 2006.

There is further concern at reports that armed Sudanese border intelligence guards at El Geneina are using militarized vehicles in civilian settlements. Many in the border intelligence have come from the Janjawid militia, with little done to exclude those responsible for serious human rights violations.

The proliferation of small arms and militarized vehicles in Darfur has led to an increase in armed attacks on aid convoys and other devastating attacks against civilians. The government has consistently failed to stop such attacks by ethnic groups using government arms and vehicles.

On 31 July, the northern Rizeigat group -- armed with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns and using scores of militarized vehicles -- mounted an attack on the Tarjem group which left at least 68 people dead. Both groups identify themselves as Arabs and have been members of the Janjawid and various Sudanese government-backed paramilitary forces such as the Popular Defence Force (PDF).

On the same day, the UN Security Council agreed to send a newly strengthened African Union-United Nations hybrid force to Darfur, but further action is needed.

"If weapons continue to flow into Darfur and peacekeepers are not given the power to disarm and demobilize all armed opposition groups and Janjawid militia, the ability of the new peacekeeping force to protect civilians will be severely impeded," said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International's Africa Program

"The UN Security Council must ensure that the arms embargo on Darfur is fully and effectively enforced and that peacekeepers are mandated to disarm or demobilize such groups."

24 August, 2007

Give me a soft loan, please !

Malaysian authorities said Wednesday they will investigate for possible corruption officials of the country's troubled port operator which has piled up over a billion dollars in debts.

As the extent of Port Klang's debt problems filters out in the local financial press, there has also been widespread speculation of a possible bail-out from the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The bail-out, if pushed through, could become the biggest in Malaysia's history, said Shahrir Samad, chairman of government's powerful Public Accounts Committee.

Malaysia's debt-ridden port authority has been rescued by the government, with the transport ministry saying Friday that they would give them a soft loan to cover about one billion dollars of debt.ADVERTISEMENT

Port Klang, whose officials may be investigated for corruption, has spent 4.6 billion ringgit (1.3 billion dollars) since construction began in 2004, and local press have reported that the authority is riddled with mismanagement.

After meetings between the transport minister and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi late Thursday, the government agreed to the loan for the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), a transport ministry spokesman said.

"Port Klang is our main port and we have much big plans for it. We cannot continue to let debt problems persist as it holds back all the plans to enhance this venture," the spokesman told AFP.

The 1,000-acre (400-hectare) PKFZ shipping area opened in western Malaysia last year, and costs have risen swiftly.

"With the high overall cost of the PKFZ in mind, the government has agreed to give the soft loan and details are being worked out on the repayment scheme. It will be a scheme that will help them to get back on their feet again."

The decision is likely to worry opposition leaders and corruption watchdogs, who have urged the government not to bail the port authority out without a thorough investigation into any corruption.

Opposition politician Lim Kit Siang gave notice to the Malaysian parliament that he would move an urgent motion to debate the matter on Monday, when it convenes after a two-week break.

"Everything must come out in the open," Lim told AFP. "The transport ministry is responsible to all Malaysians for losing public funds, and that money is no chicken feed. Someone has to answer and the government must react to it."

The government's powerful Public Accounts Committee said earlier this week that they would look into any financial mismanagement by the port, and insisted Friday that a full-scale investigation would still go ahead.

"We must continue despite the latest developments. These are public funds and we need to know if they have been used properly," said Shahrir Samad, chairman of the committee.

"It is up to government when to allow the police and the Anti-Corruption Agency to take the matter even further," he added.

Port Klang Authority remained positive Friday, insisting it would raise occupancy rate for the PKFZ to 80 percent in five years. So far, the zone has only filled 12 percent of its capacity.

"We are capable of repaying every single cent of the loan," Port Klang's business development manager Chia Kon Leong said.

In a statement issued late Thursday, the transport ministry said that Port Klang's debts were racked up during construction.- AFP via Yahoo! News

Why this cost RM4.6bil

"Initially, the project was to be completed in two phases on just 500 acres, with development cost estimated at RM400 million.

"However, following advice from Jafza, the Port Klang Authority (PKA) developed the free zone in a single phase utilising 1,000 acres (250ha), at a total cost of RM1.845 billion," the statement said.

Other elements that pushed up the cost to an estimated RM4.632 billion were interest of 7.5% (on loan to buy the land, payable over 15 years), a 10% professional fee and a variation order capped at 20% (if effected).

The statement confirmed reports that 250ha were bought from Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) at RM25 per sq ft for development of the free zone, although government valuers had estimated put it at about RM10 psf.

The ministry explained that the RM25 price tag included improvement works such as reclamation and irrigation works, constructing a road, bridge and street lights, water supply and payment to utility companies.

Although the price tag was RM1.088 billion, the final cost would be RM1.807 billion considering that the payment would be made over 15 years, with interest at 7.5% per annum.

As the cost was high, the ministry said the government had approved a loan to the PKA as the PKFZ was a project to help spur economic growth, create job opportunities and offer ancillary support services and business activities.(Source)

Lately, Sedition Act 1948 has been central in the controversies involving blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and student musician Wee Meng Chee, or "Namewee", who produced a rap video featuring the national anthem. The broad power vested under the Sedition law inevitably raises questionabout the protection for freedom of expression and whether such stringent limit could limit healthy dialogue among different communities. Do we need the Sedition Act, a product of the postwar Emergency Period, to protect our nationhood and social harmony after fifty years of independence? Has it made our nation stronger or weaker? Is it time for Malaysians to think out of box for something else? We invite an eloquent human rights lawyer, an internationally-acclaimed movie director and two articulate political think-tankers to share their thoughts.

21 August, 2007

Malaysian government grapples with financial scandal at port ahead of expected elections

Malaysian authorities are facing a scandal over debts allegedly exceeding US$1 billion (euro750 million) incurred by the country's main port authority, sparking concerns about a possible government bailout, politicians said Tuesday.

The issue is politically sensitive for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi -- who is widely expected to call for general elections before mid-2008 -- because he has repeatedly pledged to boost transparency and battle the financial mismanagement that has plagued high-profile Malaysian projects in the past.

Abdullah said last week he needs more details and refused to comment on media reports saying the Port Klang Authority has racked up debts totaling about 4.6 billion ringgit (US$1.3 billion; euro960 million) because of problems with the Port Klang Free Zone, a much-hyped shipping area that opened in western Malaysia last year.

Fears mounted that troubles with the 1,000-acre (400-hectare) PKFZ could hurt investor sentiment after the Dubai-based Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone Authority said last month it was pulling out of a pact to manage the zone because of what it called strategic reasons.

"The PKFZ scandal has affected the confidence of both foreign and local investors. They are watching the matter very closely," said Ronnie Liu, an official in the opposition Democratic Action Party. He has filed a police complaint seeking an investigation into land deal irregularities and cost overruns that are believed to have triggered the debts.

Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy or another government leader is expected to issue a statement soon to explain the issue after the Cabinet discusses potential solutions, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

Port Klang Authority Chairman Chor Chee Heung said Tuesday he was busy with meetings and declined to comment.

Shahrir Samad, the chairman of a parliamentary committee that looks into government accounting and fund allocations, said his panel is likely to look into the issue because it might involve public accountability concerns.

"Is there (going to be) a bailout? If it involves government funds, we just want to find out what has happened," Shahrir, a parliamentarian in Abdullah's ruling coalition, told Associated Press.

Several government bailouts of prominent companies, including a bank and a steel firm, damaged public confidence in the 1990s. Opposition leaders blamed the bailouts on corruption as well as undisciplined spending by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose 22 years in power were marked by expensive modernization initiatives.

Abdullah succeeded Mahathir in 2003 and said he would not follow on Mahathir's path of costly projects.

Industry observers have been alarmed by the port scandal because the government apparently ignored early warning signs. Malaysia's National Audit Department, in a 2004 analysis on its Web site, said the Port Klang Authority had liabilities of 1.7 billion ringgit (US$500 million; euro380 million) because of the purchase of the free zone land.

“I have been fair, I want to be fair and I will always be fair. This is my promise to you,” said Abdullah.

Abdullah also said the younger post-independence generation should learn the meaning of consensus and patriotism.

“The presence of many young people who came to the Merdeka event in Malacca showed that these future leaders understand and embrace the aspirations of our country,”

When Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister 45 months ago, he invited Malaysians to speak up and pledged to “hear the truth, however unpleasant”, from the people.

Wee had acted on Abdullah’s invitation and spoken up about the injustices and wrongs in Malaysia 50 years after Merdeka so that the country could be improved to become a better nation capable of competing with the rest of the world, wrote Uncle Kit.

Wee had done what very few Malaysians had done, taking the national flag Jalur Gemilang with him when he went overseas to study, and waving the national flag when his multi-national university sports team won a game, showing his pride and love for the nation.

Which Umno Minister or leader demanding for a pound of flesh from Wee for his Negarakuku rap had such love and pride for the country as to take the national flag with him or her when going overseas?

It is a disgrace that the Cabinet last week spent a lot of time to discuss Wee’s case neglecting the many important national issues plaguing the country, particularly rising crime and worsening corruption. What is even more shocking, no Cabinet Minister had time to listen to the grievances of Malaysians articulated by Wee in his Negarakuku rap but only how to demonise, criminalize and crush Wee.

The Negarakuku rap video clip on YouTube has doubled to almost 2.5 million hits because of the irrational and outrageous Cabinet decision last Wednesday, reeking with double standards when extracting an apology from Wee and yet refusing to put the issue to rest by insisting that Wee face the full consequences of the law.

- Lim Kit Siang

When Klang politico-strongman Zakaria Deros built his mansion without permission, the cabinet was quick to urge forgiveness for a much bigger offence. Where is the justice in that?

Would the de facto law minister be very much interested in getting the attorney-general to see what charges can be laid on Zakaria? After all, he has apologised and we have forgiven him, but the course of law must take its due process.

If the powers-that-be are unable to do so, then they should definitely stop making a mountain out of a molehill regarding the ‘Negarakuku’.

17 August, 2007

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

What have I got to do to make you love meWhat have I got to do to make you careWhat do I do when lightning strikes meAnd I wake to find that you're not there

What do I do to make you want meWhat have I got to do to be heardWhat do I say when it's all overAnd sorry seems to be the hardest word

It's sad, so sadIt's a sad, sad situationAnd it's getting more and more absurdIt's sad, so sadWhy can't we talk it overOh it seems to meThat sorry seems to be the hardest word

What do I do to make you love meWhat have I got to do to be heardWhat do I do when lightning strikes meWhat have I got to doWhat have I got to doWhen sorry seems to be the hardest word

- Elton John

Student must face the law, Cabinet, however, accepts his apology

The Cabinet has accepted the apology by student Wee Meng Chee, who caused a furore with his Negaraku rap video clip on video-sharing web portal YouTube, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

However, the Prime Minister said the law would still have to take its course.

Wee, 24, could be charged under the National Anthem Act 1968 with disrespecting and lowering the prestige of the Negaraku, he said.

Abdullah said a Minister had brought up the matter during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

“He (Wee) said he wants to apologise, we can accept. But if it is an offence, how to let him go without him being punished? The law has to take its course,” he said.

Nazri said “the offence was not against the Prime Minister or Ministers concerned but against the nation.”

”If he had committed an offence, and I think it was an offence, then we must allow the Attorney-General to investigate and decide whether to take him to court,” said Nazri.

“To not prosecute him is not ‘on’ at all because he has committed an offence against the nation and no one, not the Cabinet or political parties, are in a position to forgive him.”

Wee could be charged under the Sedition Act because he had insulted the symbol of the nation, he said.

“We cannot be like the West where you can have the underwear with the design of the Union Jack. In Britain, you can insult the Queen or the flag, I don’t care, but in this country we have laws and we cannot set a precedent whereby you commit an offence, apologise and get away with it,” Nazri said, adding that Wee was not a boy but a 24-year-old man and he should be held responsible for the act.

“It is not about ethnicity or being racial but it is against national interest,” he said.

When asked how Wee had insulted the national anthem, Nazri said the song was supposed to be sung in a proper way, otherwise it would mean insulting the song, especially when the lyrics were changed.

“Malaysia Negaraku ku. Ku ku can also mean ‘cuckoo’, so it was insulting. I don’t think this was done out of ignorance. He was a university student and he meant to insult the national anthem,” he said. (From The Star)

In their attacks against the student and threatening him with the Sedition Act, Umno is also seeking to incite its members and Malays into a patriotic frenzy over the issue, opposition leaders claimed, reports Malaysiakini.

Umno has taken patriotism as their last refuge in taking action against a 24-year-old student's parody of the national anthem, say opposition leaders

“We feel that young people make mistakes, more so when they are overseas and may not know about the sensitivities at home,” said MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek yesterday.

He said Wee should be given a chance, adding that Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, as the de-facto Law Minister, was merely doing his job, in reference to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department criticism of Wee’s Mandarin rap number which used the Negaraku as background.

In their attacks against the student and threatening him with the Sedition Act, Umno is also seeking to incite its members and Malays into a patriotic frenzy over the issue, opposition leaders claimed.

His video also mentioned the special privileges given to the Malays over Chinese and other ethnic races under an affirmative action programme in place for some 30 decades.

Following the posting of the controversial footage, government officials have threatened to take action against Wee, saying that he could possibly face a jail sentence for insulting the country and the king in the video.

However, Health Minister Chua Soi Lek, a leader of the country's largest Chinese party, urged members of the public to forgive the student following his apology.

'He is a creative and naive young man who has not even finished his tertiary education; we cannot pass harsh judgements; he asked for forgiveness and we should be open-hearted,'

'If we come down hard on every young man, there is no room for any creativity and innovativeness in this country,' he said.

• Will UMNO Ministers and leaders who have persecuted and demonized Meng Chee by making irresponsible, extremist and seditious statements, and even demanding the stripping of Meng Chee’s citizenship, now publicly apologise to all Malaysians offended by them;

• Will Umno Ministers who had been guilty of keris-waving in circumstances and context contemptuous of the legitimate sensitivities and rights of all Malaysians publicly apologise to all Malysians offended by them?

• Will MCA Ministers and leaders publicly apologise for failing to draw attention of the Umno leaders to the expression of patriotism by Meng Chee in articulating the frustrations of the ordinary rakyat at police corruption, civil service bureaucracy, discrimination against Chinese education and the insensitivity of the authorities – which is the reason why his rap video had struck such a deep chord among Malaysians particularly among the young generation?

Why should the rapper Wee Meng Chee apologise? In fact, the government of the day should be doing the apology for governing the country in such a sad state so much so that our youth need to resort to using such methods to voice out their perception on how this ‘Boleh’ country is being run.

Does anyone of us get an apology from the government on all the wrong and stupid things they have done or said? And I’m sorry to say that many will agree with me that they are, in fact, governing this country without any due regard to the laws or the constitution set by our forefathers. I am ashamed to say more. It is a total disgrace.

The rapper's action denotes that of a baby crying for attention. And when the attention of the baby is not met, the baby will cry until he turns blue. So what is there to apologise?

If you take a closer look at the existing government, things are rather obvious that they are at all not fit to govern. All are opportunists. Their foresight only lasted to the banks. In fact, they are not actually elected by us but selected by the respective parties to represent the ‘rakyat’.

This country has a lousy election system. Well, it works for them to make suckers out of us and worse, we continues to allow it.

Anyway, here goes another statistic for the brain drain. I bet Wee will not return to serve this country should he becomes one of the ‘brains’ and this incident will reflect well on the other brains the government hopes to tap.

Toh Puan Uma Sambanthan has this to say: "I appreciate of being here every moment of my life. Ethnic unity is very much our culture. I always believe in solidarity and call upon all Malaysians to have faith in unity. Believe me, that the current Malaysian generation is fortunate to be born in an harmonious nation."

STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY

The ethnic factor is hardly discussed openly as it is considered a sensitive subject and often triggers off unnecessary emotional outburst. Yet at the dawn of Merdeka golden jubilee, the younger generation must learn how to appreciate history and ethnic relations to safeguard the harmonious co-existence now and in future.

Getting the younger generation involved is pertinent in this matter. Establishing unity takes time and it can't be forced down the throat. Yet, it can all go to waste in a blink of an eye.

"Now it's not the time to debate on whether our unity is strong or not. Rather it's time for us to strengthen solidarity that is the backbone in attaining glory for the nation in all spheres.

"What's important is that we have to understand the values of others by learning and understanding their culture and beliefs. And education serves as an important conduit to learn the values of others,"

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT FROM THE PAST

"We also have to learn from those who struggled for Merdeka and the early leaders who had worked earnestly to establish what Malaysia is today, a peaceful, developing and harmonious nation.

"We share a common past and a common future. We must work hand in hand to face the challenges ahead using our ingenuity, patience and tolerance.

"We must have the confidence that all the communities can share the goals and visions to build a nation that is occupied by a multicultural society,"

THE MALAYSIAN ETHNICITY IN 50 YEARS TO COME

"We have to see the future of ethnic relations in Malaysia. We have to see what are the challenges in ethnic relations by 2057?

"In time to come, Malaysia's ethnic composition won't be the same anymore with 20 percent of the population represented by the ethnic groups from Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Bangladesh. These are the ones who have migrated here and have become permanent residents of Malaysia," said Dr Chiam.

"The younger generation of today must be thought to think and see the different ethnic groups with respect and must be willing to accept the changes in the ethnicity composition with the presence of new ethnic groups among us,"

THREE MAIN FACTORS

Apart from this, the three factors that should be seen as the core in deciding the future direction of the nation is inter-faith relations, inter-ethnic relations and inter-regional relations.

"Don't take for granted what you see today. We don't want to end up like Bosnia, North Ireland and others that suffered from ethnic clashes," according to a member of the national unity advisory panel Hajah Ilani Datuk Haji Isahak.

"We must also excel in social development by emphasising on unity aspects involving all parties, including parents, teachers, leaders, politicians, legal fraternity and also NGOs. Schools and higher education institutions now can play a role to strengthen ethnic relations," she said.

14 August, 2007

'Namewee' apologises

The Negaraku rap video was meant to be a satirical social commentary on life in Malaysia as a Chinese and it was never meant to be an insult to Islam or the Malays.

-Wee Meng Chee (Namewee)

After two weeks of threats from Umno politicians, controversial video author Wee Meng Chee today issued an open apology to those who were offended by his work, quoted from Malaysiakini.

The Star reported that,Taiwan-based university student Wee Meng Chee, who created a controversy with his Negaraku videoclip on YouTube has tendered his apology for hurting the feelings of Malaysians offended by his work.

"The controversy has taught me a lesson in nationalism and race relations. To end the controversy, I have decided to pull out the videoclip from my blog and I hope other bloggers would stop distributing the videoclip,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Wee Meng Chee had written a clarification in his blog "我的名字叫明志" :